Remote-controlled device for rapidly opening a skylight

ABSTRACT

In a remote-controlled device for rapidly opening a skylight, between a movable frame and a fixed frame by the moment of triggering is provided a connection formed on the one hand between swinging hooks retained by control means mounted on the same frame and on the other hand, retaining stops mounted on the other frame, the control means being comprised of means pulling on the hooks to retain same in connecting position and of means for locking said pulling means.

United States Patent 1191 Bogaert 1 REMOTE-CONTROLLED DEVICE FOR RAPIDLYOPENING A SKYLIGHT [76] Inventor: Pierre Emmanuel Eugene Jean Bogaert,88 Wemmel, Dijk, Belgium 22 Filed: June 27,1972

21 Appl. No.: 266,782

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 30, 1971 Belgium 769288 [52]US. Cl. 49/141, 49/7 [51] Int. CL... E05 65/10, E05b 47/00, EOSf 15/20[58] Field of Search 49/1, 2, 7, 8, 141, 149,

- [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,251,158 5/1966 Shapiro..49/7X 145 1 Apr. 23, 1974 3,557,497 l/l97l Schafer et ul...., 49/7 XPrimary Examiner-J. Karl Bell Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sughrue,Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak 5 7] ABSTRACT In a remote-controlleddevice for rapidly opening a skylight, between a movable frame and afixed frame by the moment of triggering is provided a connection formedon the one hand between swinging hooks retained by control means mountedon the same frame and on the other hand, retaining stops mounted on theother frame, the control means being comprised of means pulling on thehooks to retain same in connecting position and of means for lockingsaid pulling means.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures REMOTE-CONTROLLED DEVICE FOR RAPIDLY OPENINGA SKYLIGHT This invention has for object a device for rapidly opening askylight which may be remote-controlled, which is very simple and whichis very reliable.

It is indeed interesting in many cases to be able to operate from adistance notably in emergency cases, a device for rapidly opening askylight.

Most known skylights comprise either manual or automatic devices for aslow opening, said devices being disconnectable to obtain a rapidopening, the connection being made either by a manual device or anelectric device such as a powerful electromagnet directly to thefastening of the slow-opening means. This not only requires a large andconsequently costly equipment, but also does not allow the arrangementof the'device on the always narrower frames which are presently madeboth for reasons of economy and for reasons of aesthetics.

This invention brings a very simple solution to said problems byproviding a device which on the one hand, is easily adapted onvery'n'arr'ow surface and which on the other hand, works with electricretaining means of low power and consequently also occupying very littlespace.

The device according to the invention is characterized mainly by theprovision between a movable frame and a fixed frame by the moment oftriggering, of a connection formed on the one hand between swinginghooks retained by control means mounted on the same frame and on theother hand, retaining stops mounted on the other frame, the controlmeans being comprised of means pulling on the hooks to retain same inconnecting position and of means for locking said pulling means.

Other details and features of the invention will stand out from thedescription given below by way of nonlimitative example and withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I shows diagrammatically a device for rapidly opening a skylight,after the operation of said device and releasing of the frame, saiddevice being mounted with a slow-opening device.

FIG. 2 shows part of the frame shown in FIG. I, bearing the variouscontrol devices. t I

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the rapid opening device shown in FIG. 2.

As shownin the drawing, the opening device comprises a fixed frame 1, amovable frame 2 and an intermediate frame 3.

The fixed frame 1 bears a control device 4 for the slow opening, whichis hinged on the other hand on a support 5 which is attached to theintermediate frame 3, while on that same intermediate frame 3 aremounted the main members of the rapidopening device .6 which. engageretaining stops 7,7' which are mounted on the movable frame 2.

Said rapid-opening device 6 comprises hooks 8,8 which are retained,respectively, by a spring 9 and a cable 10 which passes around a pulley11 to reacha swinging lever 12 the swinging axis 13 of which is locatedat the one end and which is retained at the other end by anelectro-magnet 14.

The operation of the. device is as follows:

the hooks 8,8 are normally retained in engagement with the stops 7,7 bythe pulling action on the one hand of the spring 9 and on the other handof the cable 10, said pulling action being caused by bringing the lever12 down alongside the intermediate frame 3, which causes the cable topull on the pulley 11, said pulling being taken over by spring 9, saidlever 12 being locked in position by the attraction of electro-magnet14.

With reference to FIG. 3, it is noticed that the cable exerts on lever12 a reduced stress as it has but a leverage 1, which allows to use forretaining said lever 12, an electro-magnet 14 with a very small powerand thus of very small size. Said leverage l is however large enough tocause as soon as the attraction of the electromagnet 14 ends, the lever12 to swing about the swinging axis 13 thereof to the position shown inFIG. 1. Consequently the cable 10 uncoils on pulley 11 until the spring9 has completely returned to the rest position thereof and any retainingstress has disappeared from the hooks 8,8, said hooks may then swingabout the respective pivot 15,15 thereof to release the stops 7,7 andconsequently the frame 2. Said release is normally performed by frameopening means (not shown) which tend continuously to separate themovable frame 2 from the intermediate frame 3. The stops 7,7 exertthereby continuously a pressure against the hooks 8,8 to cause saidhooks to swing about the pivot 15,15 thereof, the hook surfaces 16,16engaging the stops being so slanted that a push on the hooks 8,8 bepossible with a releasing thereof and causes the hooks to swing aboutthe pivot 15,15 thereof.

In the closed position of the frame, said pressure is opposed bythe'pull exerted by the above-described device.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, use will advantageously be made of saiddevice in combination with a skylight slow-opening device which is usedfor the normal ventilating. In such a case the frame comprises thecasing, while the frames 2 and 3 retained by the locking of therapid-opening device, act as leaf.-

It is to be noted that this device operates in any case even when asshown in FIG. 1, the slow-opening device has already been operated.

It will also be noticed that the cable 10 is attached to the lever 12 ina point 17 which is located adjacent the swinging axis 13 to enable alarge enough force to be magnet 14 disappears to cause swinging of saidlever while retaining a small leverage.

, There has been described a retaining device with two hooks, but it isclear that it would be possible to obtain said retaining for small-sizeframes with but one hook, the spring then being directly connected tothe lever without using a cable nor a pulley.

The invention has been described as applied to an opening device whichcomprises both a slow opening and a rapid opening and in such cases usewill be made according to the invention, of two different openinglevels, that is a fixed frame or casing 1 bearing the slowopening means4 which act both on a movable frame or leaf 2 and on an intermediateframe 3 locked to said movable frame by a rapid-opening device 6, whilewhen said rapid-opening device is operated, the intermediate frame 3acts as casing and releases the movable frame 2 which under the actionof the frame opening means, will preferably open at relative to theintermediate frame 3. It is however quite clear that when saidslow-opening means are not used, theframe 3 will act as casing and therewill be obtained but one opening level.

It is also quite clear that to insure besides the remote control bymeans of an electro-magnet (said control being made with a simple switchwhich cuts off the electromagnet circuit), an automatic opening controlof the skylight, it is but necessary to cut in the pulling circuitcomprised of the spring and the cable, an element which melts whenexposed to heat.

Itmust be understood that the invention is in no way limited to theabove embodiments and that many changes may be brought therein withoutdeparting 'from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A remotely controlled device for rapidly opening a skylight,comprising:

a. a first frame adapted to be mounted to a roof openb. a second framepivotally mounted to said first frame; I

c. said skylight mounted on said second frame;

d. a pair of spaced stop means mounted on said second frame;

e. a pair of spaced hooks pivotally mounted on said first frame, eachhook having an engaging portion at one endthereof remote from thepivotal mounting of the hooks on said first frame, the engaging portionsof the two hooks facing one another and adapted to retainably engage thestop means whe the skylight is closed;

f. a retaining lever having one end pivotally mounted on said firstframe;

- g. an electro-magnet mounted on said first frame, the other end ofsaid retaining lever being held in contact with said electro-magnet whenthe latter is energized;

h. connecting means coupled between said pair of hooks and attachedthereto between the pivotal mounting of each hook and the engagingportion of each hook, said connecting means having a length varying withthe position of said retaining lever between a first position in whichits other end is in contact with said electrornagnet and a secondposition in which its other end is pivoted away from saidelectro-magnet, and

to exert a force on said retaining lever to pivot said lever to itssecond position upon the electromagnet being deenergized.

2. A remotely controlled device as recited in claim 1, wherein theconnecting means comprises a pulley and a cable, said cable passing oversaid pulley and being attached at one end to one of said pair of hooksand at the other end to said retaining lever; said spring means beingattached at one end to the other of said pair of hooks and at the otherend to said pulley; said spring means exerting a force on said pulley ina direction opposi'te to the force exerted thereon by the cable when theskylight is closed and the electro-magnet is energized.

3. A remotely controlled device as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising: a third frame fixably mounted on the edge of an opening tobe closed by said skylight; said first frame being mounted between saidthird frame and said second frame, and a slow-opening mechanismassociated with said third and first frames for effecting slow andpartial opening of said first frame with respect to said third frame.

4. A remotely controlled device as recited in claim 2, furthercomprising: a third frame fixably mounted on the edge of an opening tobe closed by said skylight; said first frame being mounted between saidthird frame and said second frame, and a slow-opening mechanismassociated with said third and first frames for effecting slow andpartial opening of said first frame with respect to said third frame.

. spring means interposed in said connecting means

1. A remotely controlled device for rapidly opening a skylight, comprising: a. a first frame adapted to be mounted to a roof opening; b. a second frame pivotally mounted to said first frame; c. said skylight mounted on said second frame; d. a pair of spaced stop means mounted on said second frame; e. a pair of spaced hooks pivotally mounted on said first frame, each hook having an engaging portion at one end thereof remote from the pivotal mounting of the hooks on said first frame, the engaging portions of the two hooks facing one another and adapted to retainably engage the stop means when the skylight is closed; f. a retaining lever having one end pivotally mounted on said first frame; g. an electro-magnet mounted on said first frame, the other end of said retaining lever being held in contact with said electro-magnet when the latter is energized; h. connecting means coupled between said pair of hooks and attached thereto between the pivotal mounting of each hook and the engaging portion of each hook, said connecting means having a length varying with the position of said retaining lever between a first position in which its other end is in contact with said electro-magnet and a second position in which its other end is pivoted away from said electro-magnet, and i. spring means interposed in said connecting means to exert a force on said retaining lever to pivot said lever to its second position upon the electro-magnet being deenergized.
 2. A remotely controlled device as recited in claim 1, wherein the connecting means comprises a pulley and a cable, said cable passing over said pulley and being attached at one end to one of said pair of hooks and at the other end to said retaining lever; said spring means being attached at one end to the other of said pair of hooks and at the other end to said pulley; said spring means exerting a force on said pulley in a direction opposite to the force exerted thereon by the cable when the skylight is closed and the electro-magnet is energized.
 3. A remotely controlled device as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a third frame fixably mounted on the edge of an opening to be closed by said skylight; said first frame being mounted between said third frame and said second frame, and a slow-opening mechanism associated with said third and first frames for effecting slow and partial opening of said first frame with respect to said third frame.
 4. A remotely controlled device as recited in claim 2, further comprising: a third frame fixably mounted on the edge of an opening to be closed by said skylight; said first frame being mounted between said third frame and said second frame, and a slow-opening mechanism associated with said third and first frames for effecting slow and partial opening of said first frame with respect to said third frame. 